Autos spare hike spiral, but fare pinch if reserved

Autos spare hike spiral, but fare pinch if reserved VIJAY DEO JHA An auto-rickshaw being refilled in Ranchi on Sunday, after the petrol price hike. Picture by Hardeep Singh Ranchiites dreading yet another jump in auto-rickshaw fares after the latest hike in fuel prices are in for a pocket-friendly surprise. The unions have promised that you will be charged the existing fare, but with the condition that you will only feel the pinch — a prickly 10 per cent extra — if you reserve petrol-driven auto-rickshaws. The price of petrol was hiked by Rs 1.50 per litre and diesel by 45 paise nationally on Friday. In Ranchi, however, the hike is Rs 1.80 for petrol and 53 paise for diesel as the state administration charges 20 and 18 per cent as value added tax respectively. The two auto-rickshaw unions in the state capital — Chotanagpur Taxi Tempo Driver Union and Jharkhand Pradesh Diesel Auto Chalak Mahasangh — announced not to increase auto fares after a decision on Saturday. There are around 1,000 petrol-operated auto-rickshaws, whereas the number of diesel-run autos is nearly 8,000 in and around Ranchi. “Though we will suffer minor losses, we are not going to raise the fare for the time being. In Ranchi, petrol will now cost Rs 68.48 and diesel Rs 50.33 per litre. But the next time there is a diesel price hike, we will have no option but to raise the fare,” said Shakil Akhtar, the president of Chotanagpur Taxi Tempo Driver Union. Last year in June, diesel auto fares saw a hike of Re 1, besides Rs 2 for the two-wheelers running on petrol. Chotanagpur Taxi Tempo Driver Union monitors diesel-run auto-rickshaws, while Jharkhand Pradesh Diesel Auto Chalak Mahasangh takes care of petrol-driven autos. Asked about frequent complaints against auto drivers arbitrarily charging money from passengers in the name of fuel hike, Akhtar said the union was planning to hold a meeting next week to discuss the issue. “We do receive such complaints. It is mandatory for every member of the union to display a fare chart. We are going to hold a meeting next week. The problem is that the district administration, too, never issued any directive for a clear-cut rule on increase in fare,” he said. Jharkhand Pradesh Diesel Auto Chalak Mahasangh president Dinesh Soni told The Telegraph: “We were forced to hike fare big 10 per cent in case of passengers who reserve petrol-operated auto-rickshaws. The increase is quite minimal. But fare for unreserved autos has not been increased.” Soni said the organisation would soon inform authorities at the prepaid taxi stands in Ranchi Railway Station and other places about the decision. Interestingly, a faction of the organisation led by Lankesh has not made any decision to this effect. A 10 per cent increase will make a substantial difference for passengers. For instance, those who were earlier charged Rs 200 to travel from Gandhinagar (Kanke Road) to Ranchi Railway Station would now have to pay another Rs 20. “We know that auto-rickshaws do not run on water. But any increase in fare must be logical, even if somebody reserves an auto. There are cases of arbitrary hike only because the district administration fails to regularise fare,” argued Deepak Prasad, a resident of Gandhinagar. Could the 10 per cent fare hike in petrol autos be avoided?

State chief by Feb. 20

State chief by Feb. 20

VIJAY DEO JHA

Ranchi, Feb. 8: The BJP national general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge, Dharmendra Pradhan, arrived in Ranchi today to gauge the mood of a divided leadership over the appointment of a state party president. Pradhan convened an hour-long meeting of the core committee this afternoon. The general secretary dropped hints that the party chief would be named by February 20. The meeting, however, was marked by the glaring absence of former party chief Raghubar Das. Das told The Telegraph he skipped the meeting due to personal reasons. In an official statement earlier, the party said Pradhan was scheduled to hold a meeting of the core committee to discuss the emerging political scenario in the state in the wake of President’s Rule after the fall of the Arjun Munda-led coalition in January. Party insiders confided that Pradhan is scheduled to hold one-to-one meeting with top leaders during his two-day stay to draw consensus over the state unit president’s post. The scramble for the top job has resulted in a faction-ridden BJP. Former chief Das, who returned on Wednesday after a weeklong visit to Delhi and Nagpur to lobby his prospects, is opposed to former chief minister Arjun Munda. His grouse is that Munda has been trying to gain one-upmanship in the party by projecting himself for the state president’s post or any of his confidants in the worst case. Today’s meeting was attended by 11 members including Munda, Yashwant Sinha and state president Dineshanand Goswami.

Injured recall station horror

Injured recall station horror - Ranchi elder among injured in UP stampede

VIJAY DEO JHA

Devotees wait to board a train at Allahabad station on Monday. AFP photo Ranchi, Feb. 11: Three pilgrims from Jharkhand were injured in yesterday’s station stampede in Allahabad that left 36 dead, while one is missing. Retired schoolteacher from Ranchi Ganga Prasad Yadav (70) had gone to attend the Mahakumbh Mela with four family members. Yadav fractured his leg in the melee and is undergoing treatment at the Tej Bahadur Sapru Hospital in Allahabad, but more worryingly, his nephew Lakhan (35) is missing. The two other injured pilgrims from the state are shop owner Ajay Prasad Gupta (40) from Latehar and homemaker Parvati (50) from Dhanbad. “The station was teeming with people. I was caught unawares when all of a sudden people started running from one platform to another. Within moments I was on the ground and people were running over me. I saw so many people dying in front of me even as I struggled to save myself,” a feeble Yadav told The Telegraph over telephone. His only plea was that someone should locate his missing nephew. Commenting on Yadav’s condition, senior medical officer of the hospital Dr R.S. Thakur said: “Yadav has been complaining of severe muscular pain and was admitted here last night. Routine check-up has been done and he is under observation.” Gupta is also admitted in the same hospital with similar complaints. “Pichhle janm me shayad koi punya tha, so bach gaye (I might have done some good in my previous birth so I am safe),” Gupta said. Recalling the incident, he added that a footbridge collapsed as people rushed to platform 6 from platform 2 to catch a Howrah-bound train. “All of a sudden there was an announcement that the train will arrive on another platform and people started rushing. At the same time, the police resorted to mindless lathi-charge, hitting anybody in sight, leading to a stampede,” he said, adding that he was worried as he had not been able to contact his family back home. Homemaker Parvati has been admitted in Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital (SRNH) with fractures and bruises. As she was in no condition to talk, senior medical officer of the hospital Ajay Saxena said her condition was stable. Superintendent-in-chief of SRNH Shradha Dwivedi said as most of the injured admitted in the hospital are in a state of shock, it had not been possible to collect their details. A helpline number — 0532-2256006 — had been set up to provide information about patients. Meanwhile, Ranchi railway station has given special instructions to booking counters to provide tickets on priority basis to people who want to visit Allahabad to meet their near and dear ones who are either missing or convalescing in hospitals. “Though we are not running any special trains, instructions have been issued to provide tickets to such people on priority basis. They can personally ask me for any help,” Ranchi DRM Gajanan Mallya said.

MoU signed for tech cradles

MoU signed for tech cradles

AMIT GUPTA & VIJAY DEO JHA

Science and technology director Arun Kumar and chief operating officer of Techno India Suman Chatterjee exchange files as chief secretary SK Choudhary (centre) and governor’s adviser K Vijay Kumar look on in Ranchi on Tuesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra Ranchi, Feb. 5: The state science and technology department today signed an MoU with a Calcutta-based company to run two engineering colleges in Chaibasa (West Singhbhum) and Dumka — the firsts in both districts — on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. Governor’s adviser K. Vijay Kumar, under whose presence the agreement with Techno India Group was signed, termed the partnership a welcome move to spread technical education in Jharkhand, adding the state had the potential to emerge as a hub in this regard. “It will also benefit the poor and unprivileged classes which cannot afford high costs for technical education,” he said. Director of state science and technology department Arun Kumar told The Telegraph: “According to the agreement, 53 per cent of the state’s students can avail of education at rates fixed by the government in the Chaibasa institute, while the percentage will be 21 per cent in Dumka.” The authorities are expecting Techno India — which has also been roped in by the department for an engineering institute and polytechnic at Ramgarh and Silli — would manage to gain approval from All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to start courses at Chaibasa and Dumka from this academic session (2013-14). Kumar said that to start with, 300 seats each would be on offer at the Chaibasa and Dumka cradles, with a break-up of 60 for five separate trades. But, he added, the final approval from AICTE would be crucial. Chief operating officer of Techno India Group Suman Chatterjee said, “Jharkhand is our focus area. We are planning more such projects in Jharkhand in the coming days. The state’s response has been very encouraging. We would certainly like to continue partnering the department of science and technology.” Techno India will admit 25 per cent of the seats based on its own entrance test while 75 per cent berths will be filled up through the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board, a state entity that conducts tests for engineering, medical, agriculture, forestry, veterinary and other courses. The company will be responsible to run the institutes for 30 years on licence. Its role will include upgrade, operation, maintenance and management according to AICTE norms, besides securing and maintenance at its cost all applicable permits/approvals/licences, et al. Chaibasa, the headquarters of West Singhbhum which is known for its vast mineral reserves and faced with the Naxalite menace in several pockets including Saranda, lacks an engineering college till date. Dumka, too, is deprived of an engineering college, though BIT-Mesra runs an extension centre in neighbouring Deoghar district. Sources said the college building in Chaibasa was complete, while few tasks including electrification were pending in the upcoming institute in Dumka. The authorities are hopeful about readying the buildings within a couple of months. The colleges were supposed to start functioning two years ago, but the laggard government machinery failed to take the projects off the ground. Chief secretary S.K. Choudhary, development commissioner Debashish Gupta, additional chief secretary Vinod Agrawal who holds the science and technology portfolio, industry secretary A.P. Singh and his urban development department counterpart Nitin Madan Kulkarni were also present during the signing of the MoU at Project Building this afternoon

All work and no play in babudom - Leave nixed, chai-paani denied, bureaucracy sweats under central rule

VIJAY DEO JHA & AMIT GUPTA

Work is our worship: Employees at Project Building in Dhurwa, Ranchi, pore over files on a busy day last week. Picture by Hardeep Singh Ranchi, Feb. 12: A for adda, Z for zzz. That’s the A to Z of Jharkhand’s babudom or so popular wisdom went before President’s Rule started on January 18. Less than a month later, W stands for work and workstations. Junk all clichés of “forty winks, files for swatting flies and chai-paani” into the nearest waste bin and watch the power corridors of Project Building, the state’s main bureaucratic hub, hum with busy efficiency. President’s Rule has jerked awake snoozing babudom. Red tape is now sweating on the corporate treadmill. Well, almost. Catch a section officer of the state personnel department hurriedly disposing and dispatching pending files. To avoid interruptions, he has placed a “Do not disturb” placard on his table. “Jaldi karoji, tezi se haath chalao (Faster man, move your hands faster),” the babu scolds his junior. Asked about the placard, he said: “I’m busy, can’t be interrupted, can’t risk keeping a file pending. I need to clear them all by this evening.” Democracy, for all its obvious virtues of freedom and choice, has not been able to conjure up this marvel. There’s more. A circular was issued weeks ago asking employees to reach office on time. But there was no mention of the closing time. Fresh applications for leave are not being entertained till March-end. The clear message — come on time, work hard, fast and smart, do not watch the clock. Personnel sources said at least seven employees across different government departments received showcause for sauntering in late to office. “We have become very punctual in our work. By 10.30am sharp everybody is at work. It is our daily routine. The new regime has indeed brought changes. You can feel it everywhere,” Nand Kumar Thakur, an under secretary rank official, said. Jharkhand’s two “tough taskmasters” — governor Syed Ahmed’s advisers Madhukar Gupta and K. Vijay Kumar — are indeed living up to their reputations. They are working late and setting the tone for all the other bureaucrats. Even senior officials are toeing the line, said a babu snidely. “Earlier, seniors came late, left early, threw their weight around and no one questioned them. Now, you will see them in their chairs. And they are also working,” he said, grinning. The reason is too well-known. “At the state guest house, the official residence of the advisers, work goes till late evening. So everyone here has to stay back till Gupta and Kumar work. The advisers also ask for status reports, host marathon meetings at Project Building till late evening, set the agenda. For instance, they asked secretaries concerned to furnish details of pending projects and amount spent. The fiscal is ending so budgetary details have to be ready.” Kumar is chairing meetings every second day, seeking precise data on pending projects. Gupta, another stickler for speedy work, is disposing of at least 50 files a day. So, is workaholism suiting everyone? It has been disorienting for those used to a snail’s pace. “Too much of workload all of a sudden,” an official of the department of cabinet coordination said diplomatically. “They want everything precise and complete. They want daily reports. They even got us digging into old and forgotten files. It is good for those who want to work.” Not good for those who want to relax and earn their sarkari salaries. Not good for betel and tea shops in and around Project Building too. Paan shop owner Om Prakash has been quick to sense the pulse of change and the plunge in his business. “Office time mein yahan pakde jayenge to action hoga. Do logon ko warning bhi mili hai. Mera income gira hai,” he rues. More work, less paan. “Will President’s Rule stay for long?” he wonders.

Hemant running out of ideas

Hemant running out of ideas

VIJAY DEO JHA

Ranchi, Feb. 7: Hemant Soren, former deputy chief minister and JMM’s heir-apparent, is faced with a serious crisis as partymen are getting restless and want him to come out with a political plan in the wake of President’s Rule in Jharkhand. Hemant’s chief ministerial ambition has already been forestalled in the wake of the Congress leadership spurning his proposal to form an alternative government in the state after the JMM withdrew support from the Arjun Munda- led coalition. As of now, the prospects of forming an alternative dispensation look bleak even though he accompanied party chief Shibu Soren to Delhi last month and spent a couple of days there trying to convince senior Congress leaders. Ultimately, the father-son duo returned, but only with half-hearted assurances that their plea would be looked at afresh after the Union Budget was placed in Parliament. So far, Hemant has managed to keep his flock together with no one speaking out against him openly. But privately, many have started questioning his leadership abilities. “It’s one thing to be the son of the party chief and another thing to project political maturity,” said a senior JMM MLA. “He (Hemant) pulled out of the coalition without proper homework, blindly believing state Congress leaders who convinced him about their party’s support. He seems to have no clear vision about the future.” Party MLA Vidyut Baran Mahto refused to talk about Hemant’s political acumen, but agreed that many within the party weren’t quite sure about him. But Hemant is trying to reassert himself in his own way. Recently, he addressed two well-attended JMM rallies in Dumka and Dhanbad where he appealed to the Congress once again to help the party form a government. However, insiders feel that the JMM’s indecisiveness will rob the party of political space in future. “These rallies were successful. We have waited for a month to know the response of like-minded forces on government formation. Now, we should take a decision,” party MLA Shashank Sekhar Bhokta said. Hemant, those close to him say, still harbours hopes of being able to persuade the Congress. He believes that for the Congress, the JMM is the only party it can choose as an ally to fight the 2014 parliamentary and Assembly elections. But, senior JMM leaders like Hemlal Murmu contest this position. “Only Hemantji can explain his silence,” he said.